The first phone call of the new year must be from you...
Of course, Jiang Ruoqi wasn't the type to be overly curious, nor would she actually rummage through Meng Shang's room over some old matter.
Besides, that kind of physical labor wasn't for someone who liked to laze around.
According to Jiang Ruoqi's life philosophy, everything came and went naturally. She had almost no possessiveness, whether toward people or things. If she wanted something, she worked hard for it; if she didn't get it, she wouldn't dwell on it.
Of course, up until now, everything she wanted had indeed turned out sweet, which might also explain her apparent openness.
Anyway, for now, her definition of her relationship with Meng Shang was: if it works, make the most of it; enjoy it thoroughly while it lasts. If she ever found out Meng Shang was straying during their marriage, she wouldn't hesitate to divorce him.
It wasn't that she was insincere; it was just that the feelings she gave were always secondary to her own well-being.
Essentially, she was still selfish.
But at this moment, when they were still deeply in love, Jiang Ruoqi wasn't about to let Meng Shang off. After washing up and changing into her pajamas, she flopped onto Meng Shang's bed, planning to disturb Dr. Meng late at night.
The video call connected, and on the screen, an oval cat head appeared first.
"Oww~"
"Ah, it's Yuanbao!" Jiang Ruoqi sat up, her heart melting at the sight of the little cat pressing against the screen. "Our baby can make video calls all by himself! Amazing. Let me see which university accepts cats, and I'll send you there one day."
Meng Yuanbao's intelligence was limited to eating and sleeping; he understood none of this.
Then a low, gentle laugh came through, and the camera shifted from the cat's head to a handsome, refined face.
Meng Shang held the chubby little guy's belly with one hand, settling him on his lap, then raised a finger to tap his slightly pink nose. "Did you hear that? Pack your things. Your mom is sending you to college."
The golden cat head thought Meng Shang was reaching out to play, so his round paws went to grab his finger, only to have his nose poked instead.
Meng Yuanbao was confused but still wanted to cuddle with Meng Shang. He stretched out his paws, yawned, then twisted his butt and slid off Meng Shang's lap.
Fortunately, Meng Shang was sitting on the sofa reading a book. Meng Yuanbao landed on the cushion, and once he felt the soft surface, he couldn't be bothered to move anymore. He found a comfortable spot and lay down, not moving.
Jiang Ruoqi's gaze finally shifted from Meng Yuanbao back to Meng Shang.
Dr. Meng had gotten off work early today. Once home, he first showered and changed. After tidying himself up, he got used to the suddenly quiet house again. Not in the mood to study those research papers or proposals, he grabbed a book and flipped through it in the living room.
He had already forgotten what the book was about—hadn't even noticed the title. He just knew he kept checking his phone, wondering when Jiang Ruoqi would video call him.
"It's rare you get off work this early. What have you been doing alone at home?" Jiang Ruoqi saw Meng Shang wearing his glasses again and felt an itch in her heart.
Meng Shang closed the book and placed it on the armrest of the sofa. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Being alone at home is boring, so I was waiting for you to call me."
Jiang Ruoqi wasn't buying it. She was tired of sitting, so she grabbed a pillow from the head of the bed, hugged it, and lay down. "Excuses. If you really missed me, why didn't you think to call me?"
Meng Shang was stunned for a moment, then realized that indeed, as Jiang Ruoqi had said, he had been waiting but never thought to take the initiative.
"Mm, you're right." Meng Shang stroked Yuanbao's furry head. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"I'll be back the day after tomorrow. It's just this short time apart, Dr. Meng. Why are you still video calling me?" Jiang Ruoqi knew the answer but wanted to hear Meng Shang say something nice.
Unfortunately, Dr. Meng wasn't the type to sweet-talk. He only spoke blunt truths.
"Because I'll miss you. I want to see you."
"I do. So does Yuanbao."
But Jiang Ruoqi was very satisfied with the answer.
She curled her lips upward, and to avoid showing her joy too obviously, she rolled over, propped her head crookedly on the pillow, and held her phone up high with both hands. "Meng Shang, tomorrow is New Year's Eve."
"Mm."
"I checked your schedule. You're not on the night shift tomorrow. So the first phone call of the new year has to be from you."
Meng Shang pressed his index finger against the bridge of his glasses, pushing them up along his nose. Through the lenses, his eyes were clear and smiling. "Alright, I'll call you."
Jiang Ruoqi was finally satisfied. Her long, shapely legs kicked against the bed, her loose pajama pants riding up to reveal half of her pale, slender calves.
She yawned, and her eyes instantly glistened with moisture. "Meng Shang, I'm sleepy."
"Then go to sleep."
Meng Shang knew that traveling was already tiring, and getting along well with unfamiliar people was even more draining. She must have been sleepy long ago.
"There's a draft from the window in my room. Keep the air conditioner on all night. If you get hot, turn down the temperature. Don't cover your head when you sleep; low oxygen levels will affect your sleep."
Meng Shang couldn't help but remind her. Jiang Ruoqi just smiled and gazed at him, not sure if she was listening.
"Meng Shang, you used to sleep in this bed in high school, right?" she suddenly asked.
"Yes, why?" Meng Shang was puzzled but answered honestly.
Jiang Ruoqi blinked. "Wow, high schoolers are at that age of youthful passion and impulsiveness. Did you ever..."
She stopped mid-sentence.
Meng Shang pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed. He knew that whenever her eyes wandered, she wasn't thinking of anything good.
"Jiang Ruoqi."
Jiang Ruoqi couldn't help but laugh. From hearing her own name, she imagined Meng Shang's tone: three parts helpless, four parts resigned, and two parts a warning that lacked any real threat.
She couldn't come up with the remaining one part.
In her mind, a huge color palette gradually took shape, and Jiang Ruoqi was amused by her own strange association. But then, joy turned to sorrow—her hand slipped, and the phone landed squarely on her face.